Alice Elizabeth Mewes

Alice Elizabeth Mewes was born to Albert and Wilma Hoy on March 14, 1947 in Lusk, Wyoming. She attended Lusk Elementary school and Niobrara Country High School. In elementary school, Alice started classes in Baton twirling. She performed with the Bonnettes. She took piano lessons and played the clarinet in junior high and high school. She participated in 4-H where she joined the sewing club, cooking club, and agriculture club. She won ribbons for sewing and showing horses. In high school she helped run the FHA-concession stand at sporting events. She participated in pep club with the Lusk Tigers. One of the activities she loved doing after school was horseback riding. In 1964 she moved with her family to Spokane, Washington. She met Richard while “dragging Riverside” one night her senior year in high school. She graduated from North Central High School in 1966. Richard and Alice fell in love and married in 1967. She took a nurse aid course and went to work at a nursing home in the valley. Richard enlisted in the Navy and Alice moved with him to Coos Bay, Oregon; Oakland, California and Long Beach, California, then back to Spokane, Washington where they made a home. They raised one son, Timothy. When her heart started to fail, she took a job as a salesperson for a television rental company at Sacred Heart Hospital for several years. She also baby sat and cared for her nieces and nephews though out her whole life. Richard re-enlisted in the Navy and they moved to Long Beach, California. She missed her family greatly, but would not leave Richard’s side. When Richard got out of the Navy they moved back to Spokane for a short time. Richard found work in the Seattle area so Alice and Tim followed. Following in the tradition of her grandmother and mother, she became a caregiver to an elderly woman in Puyallup, Washington. When her father declined, Alice and Richard moved back to Spokane to help care for him. And in later years, helped care for her mother. She retired from this a few years ago. Alice attended Central Baptist Church with her family. She also worked in the nursery and helped her mother with Sunday School. A few years ago, Alice was able to take a trip with Richard to Hawaii to see the decommissioning of the USS Missouri. Alice’s favorite song was Don Ho’s “Tiny Bubbles”. She was the Biggest Elvis fan in the whole wide world. She collected a lot of memorabilia. She loved all God’s creatures. She was always hugging everything including her little birdy Sam who she trained to give kisses. Family dogs would be jumping up and down waiting to see her. And she had great conversations with Felicia’s cat, Shawntay. As her nephew said, “Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to meet her will know that she was special to me. She had the amazing ability of multiplying any love you gave her and giving it back times ten”. She will be missed by every life she touched. Visitation will be at Riplinger Funeral Home between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 11, 2013. Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at Riplinger Funeral Home, Spokane, WA. Interment will take place at the Washington State Veteran’s Cemetery at 3:00 p.m. following the service.